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MAURY   COUNTY; 


Blue-Grass  Region  of  Tennessee 


AGRICULTURAL  AND  MINERALOGICAL  RESOURCES, 


IXl'I.CDIXG   A   VIEW   OF  THE  COUNTY  SKAT, 


THE  CITY  OF  COLUMBIA, 


HER    COMMERCE    AND    [NDUSTRIE8,    SCHOOLS   AND   CHURCHES,    PAST 
DEVELOPMENT    AND    FUTURE    POSSIBILITIES. 


FACTS   FOR   PRACTICAL  MINDS. 


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MAURY   COUNTY; 


Blue-Grass  Region  of  Tennessee 


AGRICULTURAL  AND  MINERALOGICAL  RESOURCES, 


INCLUDING  A  VIEW  OF  THE  COUNTY  SEAT, 


THE  CITY  OF  COLUMBIA, 


HER   COMMERCE   AND   INDUSTRIES,    SCHOOLS   AND   CHURCHES,    PAST 
DEVELOPMENT   AND   FUTURE   POSSD3LTJTIES. 


FACTS  FOR  PRACTICAL  MINDS. 


COLUMBIA,  TENN.: 
Published  by  Merchants'  &  Manufacturers'  Exchange, 

1887. 


Maury  County. 


MAURY,  the  third  in  wealth  and  population  among  the  counties  of 
Tennessee,  being  exceeded  only  by  Shelby  and  Davidson,  whose  wealth 
lies  principally  in  the  cities  of  Memphis  and  Nashville,  is  rapidly  becom- 
ing the  cynosure  of  a  large  class  seeking  salubrity  of  climate,  a  prolific 
soil,  and  the  concomitant  advantages  that  will  insure  a  reasonable  degree 
of  healthful  existence,  and  at  the  same  time  obviate  the  disadvantages 
incident  to  a  life  in  the  Northern  States  or  extreme  South. 

The  essential  requisites  to  physical  vigor  and  pecuniary  prosperity  are 
~  abundantly  supplied  in  Maury  County,  as  nature  has  certainly  smiled  her 
£■*  sweetest  upon  this  Ghosen  spot,  and  dispensed  her  blessing  with  a  prodi- 
00  gality  that  has  made  this  country  equal  in  beauty  and  fertility  to  the  cel- 
>U  ebrated  valleys  of  the  Schuylkill,  Shenandoah,  and  Genessee,  and  the 
far-famed  blue-grass  region  of  Central  Kentucky. 

CO 

This  county  was  formed  in  1807,  and  embraces  the  townships  of  Co- 
lumbia, Williamsport,  Hampshire,  Culleoka,  Hurricane  Switch,  Bigby- 

<m  ville,  Mount  Pleasant,  Santa  Fe,  Spring  Hill,  Neapolis,  and  Carter's 
Creek,  with  a  total  population  of  40,000,  of  which  number  about  25- 

w     000  are  white  and  the  remainder  colored. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  generally  undulating,  occasionally  bi'eak- 

ing  into  hills,  with  here  and  there  one  endeavoring  to  assume  the  dignity 

of  a  mountain,  by  reaching  its  crest  far  above  the  others;  over  this  area 

§      are  profusely  scattered  rich  and  fertile  farms  and  thrifty  communities, 

^      while  hillsides  and  valleys  are  covered  with  a  rich  carpeting  of  blue-grass 

— so  valuable  for  the  propagation  of  superior  live  stock. 

The  border  hills  of  the  county  are  generally  of  freestone  or  sandstone, 
while  the  body  of  the  county  is  limestone  at  a  depth  of  from  2  to  6  feet 
^      below  the  surface. 

Duck  River,  flowing  through  the  county  frpm  east  to  west,  is  the 
principal  water  course,  but  into  this  flows  the  Fountain,  Big  Bigby,  Sil- 
ver, Little  Bigby,  Lytles,  Randalls  River,  Knob,  Carter,  Snow,  Ruther- 
ford, Globe,  Leipers,  Catkeys,  and  Turkey  creeks,  some  of  which  afford 
excellent  water  power  for  the  twenty-odd  saw  mills  and  grist  mills  in  the 
county  propelled  in  this  manner.  These  creeks  ramify  in  countless  di- 
rections, and  combined  with  numerous  springs,  almost  every  farm  in 
Maury  County  has  running  water  upon  it,  through  these  agencies. 


46003C 


m 


—  4  — 

The  total  area  in  acres  of  this  county  is  386,309,  with  a  valuation  as 
follows : 

Value  of  farms  and  personals $6,230,625 

Value  of  town  property 1,132,075 

Total $7,362,700 

The  number  of  acres  under  cultivation  is  242,240,  embracing  3,724 
farms.  There  is  but  one  other  county  in  the  State  having  an  excess  of 
farms,  yet  Maury  has  a  greater  valuation  by  nearly  $1,000,000,  thus  be- 
ing the  wealthiest  in  the  State  from  an  agricultural  standpoint. 

Taxes  are  very  reasonable,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  subjoined  statement 
of  the  levy  for  1886: 

For  State  purposes 30c  on  $100 

For  school  (State) -.10c    " 

For  county 25c   " 

For  school  (county) 06c   " 

For  jail 08c   " 

For  highways • 05c   " 

Total  State  and  county- 84c  on  $100 

In  this  connection,  there  are  5,480  polls  at  $2  each,  devoted  to  school 
purposes.  It  will  be  seen  that  nearly  half  of  the  above  levy  finds  its  way 
into  the  State  treasury,  yet  the  county  is  out  of  debt,  and  "  county  war- 
rants" worth  par.  Out  of  the  annual  levies,  great  improvements  have 
been  made  in  our  highways,  bridges,  schools,  and  charitable  institutions. 
There  is  no  single  county  in  the  entire  South  that  can  show  a  finer  system 
of  turnpikes,  there  being  at  present  76  miles  of  turnpike  road,  as  follows: 

Columbia  and  Hampshire  pike 12  miles 

Columbia  and  Mount  Pleasant 16  " 

Columbia  and  Little  Bigby 10  " 

Columbia  and  Pulaski 5  " 

Columbia  and  Culleoka 5  " 

Columbia  and  Sowell  Mill 5  " 

Columbia  and  Sante  Fe , 11  " 

Maury  Central 12  " 

Total 76  miles 

The  charters  for  the  Culleoka  and  Mooresville  pike,  and  Columbia  and 
Williamsport,  have  been  obtained,  which  will  materially  augment  the 
number  of  miles  already  in  operation.  The  roads  are  all  of  macadam- 
ized stone  and  gravel. 

The  railroads  of  the  county  are  the  Louisville,  Nashville  &  Great 
Southern,  running  through  the  county  directly  north  and  south;  the 
Nashville  &  Florence  Railway,  which  extends  from  Columbia  to  Florence 
and  Sheffield,  Alabama,  and  running  through  the  rich  iron  ore  beds  of 
Lawrence  and  Lewis  Counties,  with  boundless  forests  of  valuable  timber 


—  5  — 

along  its  line.  The  Duck  River  Valley  Railroad  runs  from  Columbia  to 
Fayetteville,  through  one  of  the  richest  timber  districts  in  the  State,  the 
country  abounding  iu  beautiful  cedars,  as  tall  and  straight  as  the  famed 
cedars  of  Lebanon,  also  hickory,  oak,  poplar,  etc. 

The  native  woods  of  Maury  County  are  many  and  varied,  comprising 
all  the  useful  and  ornamental  woods,  including  red  oak,  black  oak, 
white  oak,  pist  oak,  chestnut  oak,  yellow  and  blue  poplar,  sugar  maple, 
red  cedar,  cherry,  walnut,  lynn,  beech,  etc.  These  timbers  are  in  great 
demand  in  the  North,  especially  the  bark  of  the  chestnut  oak,  which 
brings  a  high  price  from  Northern  tanners,  and  the  red  cedar,  cherry  and 
walnut,  which  are  high  priced  woods.  There  are  hundreds  of  acres  of 
fine  timber  land  in  Maury  County,  in  close  contiguity  to  water  power. 
Mineral  lands  are  also  plentiful,  that  is,  iron  ore  lands,  which  lie  princi- 
pally in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county,  and  extend  into  Hickman 
County.  The  ores  are  a  limonite  or  brown  hematite,  and  on  assay  have 
produced  55  per  cent,  of  pure  iron,  and  the  deposits  are  also  remarkably 
free  from  phosphorus  and  sulphur,  and  lie  in  beds  ranging  from  two  acres 
to  ten  acres  in  area.  It  is  well  watered  with  many  springs  and  streams, 
which  flow  westward  from  the  Middle  Tennessee  basin,  and  which  cut 
down  through  the  subcarboniferous  strata  into  the  lower  limestone,  thus 
giving  ample  facilities  for  obtaining  flux  in  the  manufacture  of  iron. 
These  beds  form  a  part  of  the  largest  body  of  limonites  in  the  South, 
and  on  what  is  generally  known  as  the  Western  Iron  Belt,  comprising  an 
area  forty  miles  wide  and  extending  entirely  across  the  State  from  north 
to  south. 

Beside  possessing  the  most  comprehensive  advantages  for  erection  of 
furnaces  and  manufacture  of  foundry  iron,  there  is  also  considerable 
profit  in  shipping  the  ores  to  furnaces  in  Middle  Tennessee,  of  which 
there  are  many,  all  using  charcoal  for  fuel.  There  are  large  and  valua- 
ble tracts  of  these  ore  lands  lying  in  Hickman  and  Lawrence  counties, 
contiguous  to  Maury,  which  cannot  be  excelled  for  excellence  of  assay 
and  freedom  from  deleterious  substances,  being  contiguous  to  water, 
limestone,  and  charcoal  timber;  and  with  good  facilities  for  transporta- 
tion, there  is  no  reason  why  iron  cannot  be  made  as  cheap  here  as  in  any 
portion  of  the  South. 

The  N.  &  F.  R.  R.  has  also  an  arm  of  its  road  under  contract  running 
through  ore  beds  estimated  to  contain  millions  of  tons  of  ore.  The  Shoal 
Creek  ore  beds  have  now  a  contract  to  ship  tea  car  loads  per  day,  the 
most  of  it  to  Birmingham,  some  to  Warner  furnace,  and  some  to  Terre- 
haute,  Ind.,  all  passing  through  Columbia. 

Nearly  every  one  knows  something  of  the  beauty  and  variety  of  Ten- 
nessee marble,  embracing  as  it  does  nearly  500  varieties,  and  of  every 
imaginable  color,  some  of  which  are  the  richest  ever  discovered  any- 
where, and  prized  more  than  any  other  marble  for  the  purposes  for  which 
fancy  colors  are  needed. 

In  Maury  County  there  are  large  beds  of  marble,  principally  of  a  black, 
smoky  color,  and  of  the  pink  variegated  and  red  fossiliterous  natures; 
these  beds  lying  mostly  in  the  Columbia  district,  and  within  three  miles  of 


V 


—  6  — 

the  city  proper.  These  beds  of  marble  have  never  been  developed  to  any- 
great  extent,  and  only  await  the  effect  of  energetic  effort  to  yield  a  hand- 
some profit  to  the  investor. 

The  red  Tennessee  marble  is  extensively  used  in  the  North  for  ceme- 
tery purposes,  and  it  is  thought  by  strangers  to  be  Scotch  granite,  which 
it  resembles  very  much  ;  the  variegated  is  used  for  ornamental  furniture,. 
such  as  table  tops,  wainscotting,  mantels,  mosaic  pavement  of  halls,  and 
tiling.  This  marble  is  shipped  principally  in  rough  blocks,  scabbed  to 
size,  to  dealers  in  large  cities,  who  saw  it  up  into  suitable  dimensions  to 
suit  the  demand;  it  is  much  higher  priced  than  the  Vermont  or  Italian 
marbles,  and  brings  from  $2  to  $3.50  per  cubic  foot  on  cars  at  the  quarry. 
These  marble  lands  can  be  purchased  very  cheap,  and  constitute,  when 
in  working  order  (which  involves  little  expense),  one  of  the  most  profit- 
able of  investments. 

Limestone  quarries  abound  in  profusion  throughout  the  county,  the 
stone  being  utilized  for  all  purposes. 

The  soil  of  Maury  County  is  of  a  calcareous  nature  to  a  considerable 
extent,  and  is  divided  into  clay  (red),  black  loam,  and  sandy  qualities. 
The  products  of  this  soil  are  multifarious;  they  are  wheat,  corn,  oats, 
rye,  barley,  millet,  Hungarian,  Herd's-grass,  timothy,  sorghum,  tobacco, 
cotton,  etc.  Wheat  can  be  grown  as  successfully  in  Maury  County  as  in 
any  of  the  Northern  States,  the  quality  being  very  superior,  and  the  av- 
erage yield  of  the  county  being  about  16  bushels  to  the  acre,  and  some 
farmers  have  produced  as  high  as  38  bushels  to  the  acre.  There  is  one 
important  advantage  in  raising  wheat  in  this  section,  viz.:  It  can  be 
placed  on  the  Chicago  market  at  least  six  weeks  earlier  than  Northern 
wheat,  and  consequently  brings  at  least  five  cents  more  on  the  bushel. 
Clover,  timothy,  and  all  the  grasses  are  grown  with  great  success  here. 

Besides,  the  soil  produces  almost  all  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruits 
grown  outside  of  tropical  climates.  Irish  potatoes,  sweet  potatoes,  tur- 
nips, beans,  cabbages,  tomatoes,  etc.,  are  produced  in  great  abundance, 
and  by  being  produced  much  earlisr,  are  placed  on  the  Northern  markets 
long  before  their  crops  mature. 

Plowing  can  be  done  at  some  time  during  ever}'  month  in  the  year, 
though  the  farmer  here  usually  begins  his  spring  plowing  in  February, 
or  first  weeks  of  March,  and  by  the  end  of  that  month  has  all  his  plant- 
ing done;  he  is  thus  enabled  to  raise  two  crops  per  year,  and  some  farm- 
ers have  raised  three  crops  per  year — the  first  crop  being  barley,  then 
sowing  Hungarian,  and  then  planting  a  late  crop  of  corn;  two  crops  of 
corn  can  be  raised  with  good  results  in  each  case,  and  in  fact,  any  of 
the  vegetables  will  produce  two  crops  in  one  season. 

Potatoes  will  yield  from  250  to  300  bushels  per  acre,  and  many  farmers 

devote  a  good  share  of  their  attention  to  potatoes,  which  find  a  ready 

sale  in  the  early  Northern  markets.     Two  crops  each  year  are  raised  on 

he  same  ground.     The  second  crop  being  especially  valuable  as  a  winter 

eper  and  for  seed,  being  considered  superior  to  the  New  York  potato 
for  this  purpose.  Mr.  Clawson,  one  of  our  farmers,  shipped  45  car-loads, 
and  Mr.  Barker,  merchant,  shipped  40  car-loads,  besides  others  engaged 


_7  — 

in  the  same  trade.  Fruits  grow  in  abundance  on  every  hand;  peaches, 
apples,  pears,  grapes,  etc.,  are  successfully  cultivated,  besides  we  have 
strawberries,  always  a  sure  and  profitable  crop,  raspberries,  blackberries, 
apricots,  cherries,  plums,  and  all  of  the  melon  family.  Water-melons 
are  shipped  by  the  car-load. 

Educational  advantages  are1  one  of  the  first  things  one  considers  when 
desiring  to  change  a  residence  from  the  bleak  climate  of  the  North  to 
one  farther  South,  and  the  facilities  presented  in  a  prospective  new  home 
for  giving  his  children  an  education,  is  a  question  of  vital  importance. 
Maury  County  is  divided  into  twenty-seven  school  districts,  with  a  total 
scholastic  population  of  14,564,  and  each  district  affords  schooling  from 
five  to  ten  months  in  the  year,  with  able  teachers,  thus  giving  the  young 
not  only  an  elementary,  but  an  excellent  educational  training,  that  is 
calculated  to  fit  them  for  an  active  and  useful  life. 

Among  the  pursuits  engaging  the  attention  of  the  people  of  Maury 
County,  that  of  stock  raising  is  entitled  to  prominent  mention,  as  this 
feature  has  served  to  spread  her  reputation  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  our  land,  and  the  quality  of  stock  raised  exciting  the  aston- 
ishment and  admiration  of  all  who  have  given  the  subject  the  least  at- 
tention. 

The  natural  and  artificial  conditions  of  this  section  favor  stock  hus- 
bandry in  a  high  degree.  The  matchless  grasses,  superior  natural  shelter 
offered  by  the  hills  and  ravines,  the  ample  water  supply,  cheap  corn, 
cheap  transportation,  cheap  lands,  and  a  mild,  healthful  climate,  should 
satisfy  the  most  ambitious  grazer  and  feeder. 

Maury  County  raises  and  sells  more  mules  than  any  other  county  in 
the  United  States,  also  an  excessive  amount  of  swine,  sheep,  horses,  and 
cattle. 

AMONG    HORSES. 

There  are  many  valuable  animals  owned  and  bred  in  this  favored 
section.  Many  direct  descendants  of  the  most  famous  families — Bone- 
setter,  Tom  Hal,  Traveler,  Almont,  Wilkes — and  many  of  the  most  cel- 
ebrated on  the  turf,  were  bred  and  owned  here  at  one  time — Mattie 
Hunter,  Little  Brown  Jug,  Bonesetter,  Joe  Bowers,  Brown  Hal,  Alice 
West,  Annie  W,  Joe  Braden,  Joe  Ray,  Bay  Tom,  Trouble,  Almont  Jr., 
Ben  Star,  Katie  Ishler,  and  many  others  of  less  celebrity.  t 

The  Columbia  Training  Stables,  with  Ed.  Geers,  one  of  the  ablest  and 
most  widely  known  trainers,  in  charge,  are  now  handling  some  of  the 
best  horses  to  be  found  anywhere. 

Much  attention  has  been  given  to  raising  Jersey  cattle,  and  some  of 
the  most  celebrated  animals  of  that  breed  in  the  world  are  now  owned 
here.  Major  Campbell  Brown,  Capt.  M.  C.  Campbell,  and  W.  J.  Web- 
ster, Esq.,  have  the  finest  herds,  though  there  are  many  others  worthy 
of  mention. 


The  Shorthorns,  also,  for  beef  cattle,  have  been  raised  by  a  number 
of  our  farmers,  and  Major  Ben.  Harlan,  of  this  county,  lias  generally 
taken  the  premium  at  our  State  fairs  and  in  the  Nashville  beef  shows 
for  size  and  quality  of  his  fatted  Shorthorns. 

Mr.  T.  M.  Figures,  and  Messrs.  S.  J.  Roberts  &  Son,  have  also  re- 
cently introduced  the  Holstein  breed  of  cattle,  and  already  have  fine 
herds  of  registered  Holsteins. 

The  principal  stock  industry  is  the  raising  and  fattening  of  mules  for 
the  Southern  market,  large  numbers  of  mule  colts  being  brought  here  by 
our  farmers,  in  addition  to  those  bred  here,  and  this  industry  has  grown 
until  this  county  is  now  rated  first  in  the  United  States  for  the  number 
of  mules  raised  and  shipped. 

Colonel  Ridley  has  justly  won  the  title  of  the  "  Mule  King,"  his  annual 
sales  amounting  to  from  $35,000  to  847,000.  Besides,  there  are  numer- 
ous other  dealers  whose  sales  amount  to  many  thousands  each  year. 
Colonel  Ridley's  sales  this  year  amount  to  over  850,0000. 

Maury  County  usually  makes  between  two  and  three  million  bushels 
of  corn ;  but  the  past  year  was  unfavorable  for  that  crop,  as  the  follow- 
ing report  of  its  agricultural  productions  and  stock  will  show: 

Bales  of  cotton 8,021 

Pounds  of  tobacco 58,214 

Bushels  of  Irish  potatoes 77,944 

Bushels  of  sweet  potatoes 84, 952 

Tons  of  hay 9,190 

Bushels  of  corn 1,742,929 

Bushels  of  wheat 325,910 

Bushels  of  oats 124,315 

Bushels  of  rye 4,161 

Bushels  of  barley 14,107 

Number  of  horses  and  mules 19,198 

Number  of  cattle 18,505 

Number  of  sheep- 17, 160 

Number  of  hogs  — 59,236 

Pork  packing  would  prove  especially  profitable  here.  With  the  re- 
sources at  hand  and  the  fact  that  this  point  is  as  far  south  as  it  can  be- 
securely  done,  and  the  virtual  control  of  the  best  Southern  markets, 
makes  even  the  difference  in  freights  on  this  great  article  of  trade  a  sure 
and  safe  profit  on  the  investment. 

There  was  sheared  about  70,000  pounds  of  wool. 

The  number  of  milch  cows  was  6,280,  producing  15,576  gallons  of 
milk,  392,881  pounds  of  butter  and  1,795  pounds  of  cheese. 

There  are  no  creameries  here  yet,  though  the  country  is  peculiarly 
adapted  for  them.  Fine  cattle,  superb  pasturage,  a  climate  that  permits 
their  being  run  to  full  capacity  all  the  year  round,  clear,  pure  streams 
and  ready  markets  bespeak  for  him  who  takes  the  initiative  a  fortune. 


Chickens,  eggs,  butter,  and  fowls  of  all  kinds  are  becoming  a  great 
trade,  so  easily  and  cheaply  are  they  raised.  Mr.  Jacob  Barker  alone 
invested  810,000  in  turkeys  this  season,  one  shipment  to  New  Orleans 
amounting  to  two  car-loads  of  70,000  pounds  of  dressed  turkeys.  Sev- 
eral other  merchants  also  shipped  large  quantities  during  the  same  time. 

The  Louisville,  Nashville  &  Great  Southern  Railroad  runs  special 
trains  at  certain  seasons  for  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  offers  special  rates 
to  manufacturing  enterprises  along  its  line. 

The  people  of  this  county  are  hospitable  and  intelligent,  as  much  so 
as  will  be  found  in  the  average  population  of  any  part  of  the  country, 
and  perhaps  more  so  than  in  many  localities.  This  is  a  sufficient  guar- 
antee that  any  man  of  industry  and  intelligence  may  make  a  pleasant 
home  anywhere  he  may  select  to  locate. 

No  man  need  be  deterred  from  coming  to  Tennessee  for  fear  of  ill- 
treatment  on  account  of  his  religious  or  political  opinions.  If  he  is  a 
Democrat,  he  may  be  a  Democrat  in  any  part  of  the  county;  if  he  is  a 
Republican,  he  can  go  where  he  pleases  and  avow  his  sentiments  when 
and  where  he  chooses  without  the  slightest  danger  to  his  person  or  prop- 
erty. Party  and  latitudinal  prejudices  have  been  entirely  allayed,  and, 
we  repeat,  no  one  need  have  fear  on  that  subject. 

A  welcome  is  extended  to  the  immigrant  from  whatever  locality  he 
may  come,  and  the  fullest  freedom  of  thought,  speech,  and  action  is 
guaranteed. 

Of  course  a  market  is  an  important  factor  in  considering  the  agricul- 
tural and  other  advantages  of  any  section.  This  Maury  County  has. 
She  has  access  to  the  best  markets  in  the  country,  as  may  be  seen  by 
glancing  at  its  geographical  position.  On  the  north  are  Nashville,  Louis- 
ville, Cincinnati,  Indianapolis,  and  Chicago  ;  on  the  east  are  the  markets 
of  Richmond,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New  York ;  on  the  west  are 
Memphis,  St.  Louis,  and  Kansas  City;  on  the  south  are  Birmingham, 
Montgomery,  Atlanta,  Savannah,  Mobile,  and  New  Orleans. 

Nearly  all  these  points  are  reached  in  a  few  hours,  the  eastern  mar- 
kets being  at  the  greatest  distance,  about  thirty  hours.  Nashville  may 
be  reached  from  Columbia  in  two  hours,  Louisville  in  ten  hours,  and 
Cincinnati  in  fourteen  hours. 

Freights  are  exceedingly  low,  special  trains  being  run  during  the  early 
vegetable  season  for  the  sole  advantage  of  the  iarmers. 

Can  there  be  a  more  favorable  section  than  this  for  farmers  from  any 
part  of  the  Union?  With  a  climate  equal  to  the  best,  with  a  soil  capa- 
ble of  fabulous  productions,  and  with  markets  accessible  by  railroads,  it 
■offers  inducements  that  should  arrest  the  prompt  attention  of  thoughtful 
persons  from  all  sections  of  the  country,  and  especially  from  the  eastern 
and  northwestern  States,  where  the  winters  are  so  long  and  inhospitable. 


COLUMBIA. 


COLUMBIA,  the  county  seat  of  Maury  County,  is  situated  on  the 
south  bank  of  Duck  River,  very  near  the  center  of  the  county,  on 
the  Decatur  division  of  the  main  line  of  the  Louisville,  Nashville  & 
Great  Southern  Railroad,  47  miles  from  Nashville,  232  from  Louisville, 
342  from  Cincinnati,  159  from  Birmingham,  Ala.,  and  254  from  Mont- 
gomery, Ala.,  75  from  Decatur,  and  78  from  Florence. 

The  city  rests  upon  a  series  of  undulating  hills  composed  of  limestone, 
and  nestles  at  the  base  of  Mt.  Parnassus,  whose  summit  towers  over  200 
feet  above  the  city,  and  from  whence  can  be  viewed  one  of  nature's 
grandest  panoramic  displays,  as  on  every  hand,  stretching  away  toward 
the  horizon  like  mighty  billows  on  a  troubled  sea,  are  seen  thousands  of 
acres  of  fertile  field  and  sylvan  glen. 

Mt.  Parnassus,  in  a  geological  sense,  is  classic  ground,  as  this  section 
has  evidently  at  one  time  been  the  bed  of  a  sea,  the  evidences  of  which 
lie  around  in  great  profusion.  The  hills  in  many  places  are  covered  with 
water-worn  pebbles  that  have  apparently  been  worn  in  their  rounded 
form  by  attrition,  and  have  been  cast  in  their  present  position  by  the  ac- 
tion of  the  waves. 

About  one-third  the  way  up  the  Mount  are  found  a  large  quantity  of 
beautiful  sea  shells  in  a  petrified  form,  and  in  many  cases  these  shells  are 
found  imbedded  in  the  solid  limestone  rocks;  besides  shells,  numerous 
pieces  of  driftwood  are  found  petrified  into  stone. 

At  some  period  of  the  earth's  history,  probably  in  some  great  convulsion 
of  nature,  the  rocks  were  rent,  the  mountain  parted,  and  this  pent  up 
sea  found  its  way  to  the  ocean,  leaving  this  section  with  its  minerals,  its 
rocks,  and  its  sand  and  vegetable  mold  in  time  to  become  the  habitation 
of  man. 

To  the  stranger  visiting  the  Columbia  of  to-day,  the  history  of  the  city 
must  possess  all  the  interest  of  a  fairy  tale.  From  the  rude  log  hut,  des- 
titute of  all  comforts,  except  mere  shelter,  to  the  solidly  built,  handsome, 
wealthy  metropolis  of  a  rich  region,  with  all  the  evidences  and  appliances 
of  comfort,  culture,  education,  and  progress,  is  a  long  step  indeed. 

To-day  Columbia  has  a  population  of  fully  5,500,  including  suburbs. 
It  is  laid  out  with  broad  and  regular  streets  crossing  each  other  at  right 
angles,  and  many  of  them  luxuriantly  shaded  with  maples  and  oaks. 


The  city  has  fully  fifteen  miles  of  macadamized  streets  in  good  repair, 
and  some  of  the  finest  public  and  private  structures  in  the  State,  evi- 
dencing a  high  idea  of  art  in  their  owners  and  projectors. 

This  city  has  one  of  the  finest  systems  of 

WATER-WORKS 

in  the  South.  They  were  erected  in  1883,  at  a  cost  of  $50,000,  under 
the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Travers  Daniel,  who  has  successfully  erected 
systems  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  The  works  are  on  the  natural 
gravitation  plan,  the  reservoir  being  located  on  the  summit  of  Mt.  Par- 
nassus, 203  feet  above  the  court-house  square  and  300  feet  above  the 
pump,  on  the  bank  of  Duck  River.  The  reservoir  has  a  capacity  of 
2,000,000  gallons.  The  pumping  engine,  from  the  factory  of  the  Geo. 
F.  Blake  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  was  of  85-horse  power, 
with  a  condensing  steam  pump,  and  had  a  daily  pumping  capacity  of 
1,153,000  gallons. 

This  was  found  inadequate  to  the  demand,  and  two  new  boilers  made 
by  Bigelow  &  Co.,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  54x12  each  replaced  the  others. 
The  water  is  forced,  through  pipes  to  the  reservoir  and  thence  distributed 
by  a  system  of  mains  and  small  pipes,  amounting  in  length  to  seven  and 
one-half  miles.  A  visit  to  the  station  will  more  than  repay  any  one, 
and  will  be  a  delight  to  an  admirer  of  fine  machinery  in  perfect  working 
order.  The  station  is  located  at  the  foot  of  East  Sixth  Street,  near  the 
bridge,  and  contains  in  its  boiler  room  two  new  boilers  made  by  the 
Bigelow  Company,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  54x12  each.  The  boiler  room  is 
20x30  feet  inside,  giving  plenty  of  room  for  the  large  boilers.  The 
breeching  is  33  inches  of  boiler  iron  and  the  stack  is  100  feet  high  from 
top  of  the  boilers.  When  the  new  machinery  was  put  in  the  old  boiler 
room  was  made  the  engine  room  and  the  new  boilers  were  placed  in  the 
old  engine  room.  The  company  now  has  a  new  Duplex  compouud  con- 
densing engine  made  by  the  Dean  Steam  Pump  Company,  of  Holyoke, 
Mass.,  with  a  capacity  of  1,000,000  gallons  every  twenty-four  hours. 
The  pipes  for  receiving  and  discharging  the  water  are  12  inches  in 
diameter.  The  engine  room  also  contains  a  Blake  pump  of  the  same 
capacity  as  the  engine  every  24  hours,  which  is  always  ready  for  use, 
when  a  very  high  pressure  is  needed.  This  engine  and  pump  have  all 
the  modern  improvements  now  attached  to  such  machinery,  condensers, 
patent  boiler  feeders  and  inside  plunger,  and  are  a  great  advance  beyond 
the  old  machinery.  The  reservoirs  are  one  mile  from  the  pumping  sta- 
tion, elevation  300  feet  and  with  a  water  pressure  of  160  pounds  to  the 
inch,  85  pounds  of  steam  is  used  in  running  the  engine.  The  buildings 
at  the  pumping  station  are  well  constructed,  commodious,  and  arranged 
especially  for  the  convenient  and  skillful  running  of  the  machinery  con- 
tained in  them.  The  new  engine  room,  which  was  recently  constructed, 
has  walls  which  are  forty  inches  thick  laid  in  the  best  of  cement.  The 
machinery  has  been  placed  in  position  by  skilled  engineers  and  machinists, 
and  while  in  motion  there  is  no  perceptible  jar  to  the  pump,  although 
working  under  heavy  pressure.     A  visit  to  the  station  will  be  an  agreea- 


—  13  — 

ble  surprise  to  those  who  have  do  definite  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the 
machinery  it  contains.  The  reservoirs  are  visited  often,  and  have  heen 
overhauled  and  rebuilt,  and  have  a  capacity  of  #1,000,000  gallons,  and 
are  enclosed  by  a  good  plank  fence.  Mr.  C.  H.  Ledlie,  or  St.  Louis, 
Avas  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  additions  and  improvements  and  su- 
perintended the  placing  of  the  machinery.  Mr.  James  Gamble,  of  New 
York  City,  is  President  of  the  company,  and  Mr.  Lucuis  Frierson,  of 
this  city,  is  Treasurer,  Mr.  John  Gamble  is  Superintendent  and  Henry 
Adkisson  is  the  engineer  in  charge  at  the  station. 

There  are  about  7-&  miles  of  water-main  in  the  city,  of  various  sizes, 
affording  every  advantage  for  domestic  or  public  use.  There  are  forty- 
four  double  nozzle  fire-hydrants,  each  nozzle  throwing  a  stream  100  feet. 
This,  with  a  first-class  steam  fire-engine,  affords  ample  protection  from 
fire,  also  taking  into  consideration  the  many  garden  hose  that  are  owned 
throughout  the  city.  The  water  used  by  the  city  is  not  a  limestone 
water.  It  is  pumped  from  Duck  River,  which  has  its  source  in  the 
mountains,  the  water  coming  from  freestone  knobs,  thus  making  it  pure 
and  clear,  although  the  company  has  put  in  a  filter  so  as  to  effectually 
remove  all  objectionable  substances. 

Water  rents  are  as  cheap  here  as  elsewhere,  and  the  water  better  than 
in  most  cities  in  Tennessee,  especially  those  on  the  Tennessee  and  Cum- 
berland Rivers.     Columbia  has  a  natural 

SYSTEM   OF   SEWERAGE, 

a  heavy  rain  completely  washing  all  filth  and  debris  away,  although 
there  is  a  large  sewer  running  from  the  Bethe  1  House  to  the  river,  which 
is  added  to  and  enlarged  as  occasion  requires. 

The  streets  of  the  city  are  splendidly  lighted  by  gas,  as  well  as  the 
public  buildings  and  many  private  residences. 

Through  energetic  effort  the  company  has  been  enabled  to  furnish  a 
superior  gas  at  a  reasonable  cost.  The  gas  made  is  not  a  coal  gas,  but 
what  is  known  as  "fixed  oil  gas,"  possessing  great  brilliancy,  the  attri- 
bute of  cheapness  as  well.  The  Columbia  Gas  Company  was  organized 
in  April,  1882,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $40,000.  They  have  at  present 
over  five  miles  of  gas  mains,  and  utilize  a  reservoir  with  a  capacity  of 
40,000  cubic  feet. 

Fully  alive  to  the  progressive  tendency  of  the  age,  the  city  also  has  a 

TELEPHONE   EXCHANGE 

with  seventy-five  subscribers,  being  more  than  many  other  cities  of  larger 
population,  and  much  more  in  proportion  than  Nashville  or  Memphis. 
Columbia  is  connected  by  telephone  with  all  the  principal  cities  and 
towns  within  a  radius  of  sixty  miles,  and  by  telegraph  with  all  parts  of 
the  world. 


14 


AS  A  RAILROAD   CENTER 

Columbia  is  of  considerable  importance.  The  Louisville,  Nashville  & 
Great  Southern  is  the  principal  road  running  from  Cincinnati  to  New 
Orleans,  thus  giving  ingress  and  egress  to  any  part  of  the  country.  The 
Duck  River  Valley  Railway  (narrow  gauge),  runs  from  Columbia,  in  an 
eastern  course,  through  Marshall  County,  touching  Lewisburg,  the  county 
seat,  into  Lincoln  County,  having  its  terminus  at  Fayetteville,  the  county 
seat.  At  that  place  it  connects  with  a  branch  of  the  Nashville,  Chatta- 
nooga &  St.  Louis  Railway.  This  road  passes  through  a  rich  cedar  and 
hickory  country  and  gives  Columbia  direct  connection  with  the  coal 
fields  of  the  Cumberland  Table-lands. 

The  Nashville  &  Florence  Railroad  extends  from  Columbia  southwest 
through  the  counties  of  Lawrence  and  Lewis  to  the  towns  of  Florence, 
Ala.,  and  Sheffield.  Here  this  road  touches  the  Tennessee  River,  where 
it  is  navigable  the  year  round,  and  connects  with  the  Memphis  &  Charles- 
ton Railroad  also.  This  railroad  passes  through  very  rich  iron  ore-beds, 
and  is  projected  into  others  still  more  valuable.  These  ores  are  within 
easy  distance  of  Columbia,  and  may  be  brought  here  at  small  cost  for 
transportation  and  mining. 

Here  then  is  a  splendid  opportunity  for  extensive 

MANUFACTURING  INTERESTS, 

devoted  to  making  pig-iron.  The  ore  is  within  twenty-five  miles,  the 
coke  within  easy  access  by  the  Louisville,  Nashville  &  Great  South- 
ern, and  there  is  plenty  white  oak  timber  in  this  section  for  charcoal; 
limestone  is  plentiful  here,  and  labor  cheap,  and  there  is  no  reason  why 
iron  canriot  be  made  here  cheaper  than  elsewhere. 

There  is  also  a  most  excellent  opportunity  for  investment  in  manufac- 
turing buckets,  and  the  various  things  in  which  cedar  is  used.  In  the 
city  here  they  use  cedar  wood  for  kindling,  it  is  so  plentiful  and  cheap. 
The  Duck  River  road  passes  through  a  virgin  forest  of  cedar,  hickory, 
chestnut,  and  oak,  and  the  Nashville  &  Florence  Railway  through  hickory, 
chestnut,  and  oak.  Where  is  there  a  more  favorable  location  than  this 
for  a  hub  and  spoke  or  handle  factory,  or  for  farming  implements?  Or 
with  the  immense  amount  of  tan-bark  from  the  chestnut  oak,  a  tannery? 
These  facts,  coupled  with  the  rich  agricultural  country  surrounding, 
which  insures  cheap  food  for  operatives,  merit  profound  consideration. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  statistics  given  elsewhere  that  Maury  County 
raises  nearly  9,000  bales  of  cotton,  and  there  is  every  reason  for  the 
assertion  that  this  city  is  a  most  advantageous  spot  for 

COTTON   MANUFACTURING. 

Cheap  coal  is  to  be  had  in  abundance,  transportation  is  cheap,  and  we 
practically  have  an  outlet  to  any  point  of  the  compass. 


—  15  — 

The  proverbial  enterprise  of  the  citizens  of  this  city  has  been  rewarded 
in  this  respect,  and  a  cotton  mill  company  with  a  capital  of  8100,000  is 
now  organized  and  chartered  as  Columbia  Cotton  Mill  Company,  who 
have  erected  a  mill  of  100  looms,  and  also  own  and  operate  Laurel  Hill 
Factory  in  Lawrence  County,  with  56  looms.  Capital  invested  in  this 
manner  is  yielding  from  10  to  25  per  cent,  on  the  investment. 

Middle  Tennessee  raises  nearly  60,000  bales  of  cotton,  and  surely  this, 
like  Augusta,  Ga.,  is  the  place  for  cotton  manufacturing. 

In  other  lines  of  manufacturing,  Columbia  is  not  behind  the  times, 
and  while  not  boasting  of  a  large  number  of  concerns,  yet  what  she  has 
are  solid  and  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Closely  contiguous  to  the  city  are  large  areas  of  red  clay,  suitable  for 
brick-making,  which  will  prove  a  most  profitable  industry,  as  what  brick 
are  now  made  here  are  made  without  the  advantages  of  improved  ma- 
chinery. 

The  sorghum  raised  in  Maury  County  is  of  a  superior  quality,  and  rich 
in  saccharine,  and  with  mills  equipped  like  those  in  Louisiana,  or  at 
Champagne,  111.,  granulated  sugar  could  be  made  at  a  big  profit. 

The  castor  bean  also  grows  almost  spontaneously  in  this  region,  offer- 
ing a  rich  opportunity  for  the  manufacture  of  castor  oil. 

Columbia  now  has  of  manufacturing  interests — 

Three  carriage  factories. 

One  ice  factory. 

One  chair  factory  and  pipe  factory. 

One  woolen  mill. 

Three  flour  mills,  one  having  a  capacity  of  12,000  barrels  arfhually. 

One  large  furniture  factory  and  planing  mill. 

Grist  mill  and  elevator. 

Band  saw  and  planing  mill. 

Cotton  factory. 

Pump  factory. 

And  numerous  others  of  minor  importance. 

With  the  natural  advantages  of  timber,  iron  ore,  cotton,  sorghum, 
castor  beans,  good  water,  cheap  coal,  and  cheap  transportation,  this  cer- 
tainly is  a  spot  for  profitable  manufacturing  enterprises. 

To  facilitate  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city,  a  number  of 
her  leading  and  substantial  men  have  formed  the 

merchants'  and  manufacturers'  exchange, 

the  object  being  to  induce  and  assist  immigration  to  this  city  and  to  build 
up  and  develop  the  great  resources  of  the  county.  Its  officers  at  present 
are:  W.  Abe  Smythe,  President;  W.  J.  Hine,  Vice-President;  J.  H. 
Dew,  Secretary. 


—  16  — 

This  association  is  untiring  in  its  efforts  to  benefit  the  city,  and  its  la- 
bors are  already  beginning  to  show  excellent  results.  Any  information 
not  contained  in  this  article  will  be  cheerfully  furnished  by  the  Secretary. 

ONE   HUNDRED   MERCANTILE   HOUSES 

are  in  this  city,  each  of  a  thrifty,  enterprising,  and  prosperous  nature, 
many  Northern  men  being  included  in  the  number,  and  representing  all 
the  lines  of  mercantile  pursuit.     Columbia  has  three 

BANKS, 

all  in  a  prosperous  condition,  as  follows: 

Bank  of  Columbia.  Capital,  $50,000;  surplus,  $25,000;  deposits, 
$200,000. 

Second  National  Bank.  Capital,  $82,500;  surplus,  $7,700;  deposits, 
$125,000. 

Columbia  Banking  Company.  Capital,  $100,000;  surplus,  $20,000; 
deposits,  $200,000. 

STREET   RAILWAY. 

The  Columbia  Street  Railway  Company  has  procured  a  charter  from 
the  State,  the  right  of  way  from  the  corporation,  the  line  already  sur- 
veyed, and  the  road  will  soon  be  equipped  and  running,  with  a  street 
car  line  equal  in  all  its  equipments  to  the  best. 

There  is  also  a  Building  and  Loan  Association  here.  These  are  mere 
testimonials  to  the  wealth  and  thriftiness  of  the  people  of  this  city. 

•  EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES 

in  Columbia  are  unsurpassed  anywhere.  The  city  has  a  splendid  graded 
public  school  system,  under  the  superintendence  of  Prof.  S.  M.  Arnell, 
assisted  by  a  corps  of  able  and  experienced  teachers.  The  schools  for 
both  white  and  black  occupy  imposing  buildings  whose  cost  was  over 
$20,000. 

All  of  the  elementary  branches  are  taught  here  by  thorough  and  com- 
petent tutors.  Thus  a  substantial  education  may  be  readily  obtained  in 
the  city  schools,  fitting  one  for  all  practical  business  and  social  life,  while 
for  a  profession  the  schools  offer  a  thorough  rudamentary  foundation. 
The  white  and  colored  schools  are  taught  in  different  buildings.  Colum- 
bia besides  having  a  thorough  public  school  system,  has  a  male  high 
school  for  advanced  scholars,  under  Professors  R.  D'S.  Robertson  and 
Professor  Griffin.  It  has  also  two  noted  female  colleges,  the  Columbia 
Female  Institute  and  the  Columbia  Athenseum,  both  of  which  draw 
their  patronage  from  a  number  of  States,  and  have  an  excellent  corps  of 
teachers.  The  former  was  chartered  with  college  powers  in  1835,  and  is 
now  under  the  Rectorship  of  Rev.  George  Beckett,  S.  T.  D.  The  latter 
is  in  charge  of  its  President,  Capt.  Robert  D.  Smith. 


—  17  — 

Public  morals  here  arc  of  a  high  standard,  and  carefully  guarded  by 
the  presence  of 

CHURCHES 

of  every  denomination,  there  being  a  Presbyterian,  Catholic,  Methodist, 
Cumberland  Presbyterian,  Episcopal,  Baptist,  and  Christian  churches. 

THE   TRESS 

of  Columbia  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  there  being  the  "Maury 
Democrat,"  and  the  "  Columbia  Herald,"  published  here. 

AS   A    STOCK   MARKET, 

Columbia  has  a  national  celebrity,  there  being  more  stock  raised  and  sold 
in  this  market  than  any  other  in  the  United  States.  Hundreds  of  mules 
and  other  stock  were  driven  to  markets  and  sold,  and  a  great  many  are 
still  carried  in  this  way,  but  the  business  has  been  rapidly  increasing, 
and  led  to  the  formation  of  the 

COLUMBIA    STOCK    YARD   COMPANY, 

who  constructed  yards  embracing  about  three  acres,  under  roof  at  the 
L.,  N.  &  G.  S.  Ry.  depot,  and  who  now  enjoy  every  facility  for  handling 
stock  to  advantage. 

The  company  began  business  Sept.  15,  1883,  and  by  report  of  L. 
Junius  Polk,  Superintendent,  handled  the  following  amount  of  stock",  to 
Jan.  15,  1884: 

Horses  and  mules 3,323 

Cattle 612 

Hogs 8,101 

Sheep 300 

The  buildings  were  all  accidentally  destroyed  by  fire  during  the  past 
summer,  but  such  was  the  prosperity  of  the  enterprise,  and  the  energy 
of  the  management,  that  it  was  soon  rebuilt  and  put  in  order  for  business 
again,  and  is  now  in  a  most  flourishing  condition,  as  the  subjoined  report 
furnished  by  its  present  Superintendent,  Mr.  W.  B.  Burnett,  will  show. 
From  Oct.  2,  1886,  to  date,  Jan.  25,  1887,  the  following  shipments  and 
sales  were  made : 

Mules 2.955 

Cattle 825 

Hogs 5,296 

Sheep 481 

In  addition,  a  number  of  public  sales  at  auction  were  held  of  horses, 
cattle,  and  mules,  and  there  are  now  at  the  yards  for  shipment  228  mules. 
This  added  to  the  numbers  shiped  from  other  stations  along  the  railroad 
in  this  county,  show  the  justness  of  the  claims  for  a  stock  county. 

460030 


18 


CITY    DEBT   AND   TAXES. 

Columbia  is  in  a  very  sound  financial  condition  at  the  present  time, 
there  being  a  debt  of  only  $50,000 — 8  per  cent,  railroad  bonds — being 
the  assistance  given  to  the  Duck  River  Valley  Narrow-gauge  Railroad. 
The  total  amount  of  taxable  property  is  $1,500,000,  and  the  rate  is 
$1.50  per  $100.  Insurance  is  about  1  per  cent,  on  public  and  private 
structures. 

Columbia  has  been  making  vast  improvements  in  the  past  two  or  three 
years,  and  can  now  show  some  of  the  finest 

PUBLIC   BUILDINGS 

and  business  blocks  in  the  State;  the  most  prominent  are  the  new  Ma- 
sonic Block,  Bethell  House,  Rains'  Block,  Dodson  &  Akin's  Parlor  Mam- 
moth Livery  Stable,  Opera  House  Block,  and  many  splendid  business 
blocks,  all  being  constructed  of  brick  or  stone. 

THE   HOTELS   OF   THE    CITY 

are  the  Bethell  House,  built  by  a  stock  company  in  1882,  being  three 
stories  high,  of  brick,  and  embracing  every  modern  improvement  and 
convenience;  the  Nelson  House  and  the  Guest  House,  both  of  which  are 
good  houses.  Jackson  House  and  Allen  House  at  the  depot.  Adjoin- 
ing the  Bethell  House,  and,  in  fact,  a  part  of  the  block,  is 

THE    OPERA   HOUSE, 

one  of  the  neatest  and  cosiest  in  the  South.  It  has  a  seating  capacity  of 
850,  and  will  hold  1,000.  It  is  lighted  by  gas,  with  electric  lighters, 
has  a  large  stage,  with  nine  comfortable  and  roomy  dressing  rooms,  and 
its  acoustics  are  unsurpassed.  It  is  a  place  of  amusement  that  would 
satisfy  any  community. 

Columbia  also  has  several  secret  societies  in  her  midst,  embracing  the 
Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor,  Royal 
Arcanum,  and  others. 

Columbia  has  never  had  an  epidemic  of  any  serious  character. 

We  have  devoted  some  time  and  space  to  a  number  of  subjects  that 
pertain  to  this  locality,  and  have  reserved  till  now  a  few  remarks  on 

THE  CLIMATE  AND  HEALTH 

of  this  city  and  vicinity.  Columbia  stands  upon  record  as  one  of  the 
most  healthy  cities  in  the  South,  the  death  rate  being  less  than  6  in 
1,000,  as  the  following  report  shows  : 

A.  Barr,  undertaker,  makes  the  following  mortality  report  for  the  year 
1886:  27  deaths  in  the  city;  9  Irom  a  distance;  9  from  the  country.  25 
were  buried  at  Rose  Hill  and  2  in  Greenwood,  being  those  who  died  here. 
Those  brought  from  a  distance  were  interred  mostly  at  Rose  Hill. 


—  19  — 

The  climate  is  nol  Bubject  to  either  greal  extremes  of  heal  or  cold,  and 
the  maximum  and  minimum  figures  o*  the  thermometer  are  of  Bhort  du- 
ration.  The  constanl  degree  of  humidity  in  the  atmosphere— without 
which  physicians  say  do  city  is  healthy — is  remarkable.  This  gives  as 
green  fields  when  others  are  drying  up  .and  parching. 

What,  is  known  as  winter  here  lasts  hare  two  months,  and  in  summer 
the  days  are  not  too  hot  and  the  nights  generally  cool.  Our  elevation 
gives  a  dry,  well  drained  soil,  and  clear  limestone  water,  uncontaminated 
with  decaying  animal  or  vegetable  matter,  which  with  pure  air  gives  us 
advantages  not  enjoyed  usually  elsewhere.  In  cholera  epidemics,  when 
it  has  been  raging  all  about,  Columbia  has  been  entirely  free  from  its 
ravages. 

An  examination  of  the  census  reports  will  show  this  one  of  the  health- 
iest portions  of  the  State.  The  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  sixty 
■degrees,  and  the  annual  rain  fall  fifty  inches — for  Middle  Tennessee. 

THE   COST    OF   LIVING 

is  as  cheap,  and  cheaper,  in  Columbia  than  elsewhere.  If  you  are  a 
renter,  good  houses  rent  from  §10  to  $25  per  month,  bit  it  is  much 
cheaper  to  build,  as  a  neat  cottage  can  be  built  for  $400  or  $500,  or  with 
n  thousand  dollars  you  can  do  much  better  and  buy  the  lot  also.  Poplar 
lumber  sells  for  812  to  §15  per  thousand,  and  brick  are  16  to  $8  per 
thousand,  with  other  material  in  proportion.  The  ordinary  provender 
of  life  is  both  plenty  and  cheap  the  year  round. 

The  Building  and  Loan  Association  places  it  within  the  reach  of  any 
one  to  purchase  a  lot  and  build  thereon  to  suit  themselves. 

THE    PEOPLE 

of  this  city  are  more  cosmopolitan  in  character  than  those  of  many  other 
communities.  They  represent  in  a  high  degree  the  hospitality,  good 
sense,  high  social  qualities,  and  mental  stamina  for  which  theTennessean 
is  proverbial. 

The  constant  friction  between  the  elements  of  society  steadily  going  in 
and  out  of  here  and  the  citizens  of  this  community,  has  surely  and  stead- 
ily worn  away  sectional  prejudice,  dissipated  local  conceits,  and  ind.ed 
every  thing  of  a  provincial  nature,  and  developed  in  their  stead  a  broad, 
liberal,  comprehensive,  cosmopolitan  order  most  refreshing  to  see. 

AS   A   PLACE   OF   LOCATION. 

Columbia  is  destined  to  be  a  large  city.  This  entire  section  is  awaken- 
ing from  its  "Rip  Van  Winkle"  to  the  need  of  immediate  and  thorough 
advertisement  of  its  wonderful  resources.  Northern  people  are  fast  be- 
coming conscious  of  its  climatic  and  other  advantages.  The  spirit  of 
inquiry,  like  the  schoolmaster,  is  abroad  in  the  land.  Home  seekers, 
home  builders,  and  capitalists  are  finding  their  way  here,  and  everywhere 


—  20  — 

land  sales  are  becoming  more  frequent.  There  never  will  be  a  better 
time  to  locate  here  than  now.  The  timber  supply  is  ample,  the  country 
is  well  supplied  with  fencing  and  building  material,  and  the  local  market 
is  supplied  with  wood  at  $2  to  $3  per  cord.  Pine,  oak,  cedar,  cherry, 
hickory,  and  walnut  is  at  our  doors  for  general  manufacturing  purposes. 
Coal  for  household  and  manufacturing  purposes  can  be  secured  from  the 
great  coal  fields  that  are  in  close  proximity  to  the  city,  and  can  be  fur- 
nished here  as  cheaply  as  at  any  city  in  the  country  ;  and,  in  fact,  all 
raw  material  used  in  manufacturing  can  be  secured  very  cheaply.  There 
is  no  end  of  building-stone,  this  country  being  well  supplied  with  quar- 
ries of  fine  building-stone ;  also  plenty  of  clay  for  brick  of  the  best  kind. 
The  close  contiguity  of  iron  ore  makes  a  furnace  a  thing  of  much  profit 
here,  or  a  foundry;  and  plenty  of  tan-bark  renders  a  tannery  a  most  sat- 
isfactory investment,  and  so  on  ad  libitum. 

The  merchants  of  Columbia  can  review  their  operations  with  just 
pride  for  the  year  just  passed,  as  each  line  of  trade  reports  an  increase 
of  business  from  ten  to  thirty  per  cent. 

There  are  several  fine  sulphur  springs  in  the  county  and  in  the  cor- 
porate limits,  while  in  close  proximity  and  easy  access  are  many  of  the 
finest  mineral  waters  in  the  world,  affording  their  benefits  to  the  afflicted. 
While  many  of  these  watering  places  are  well  attended,  it  is  more  often 
as  a  gathering  for  pleasure  than  as  a  sanitarium  of  health. 

About  4,000  bales  of  cotton  have  been  shipped  this  season,  besides 
hundreds  of  cars  of  corn,  hundreds  of  cars  of  horses  and  mules,  hogs, 
cattle,  sheep,  besides  many  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  wheat,  and 
thousands  worth  of  vegetables  and  fruits;  also,  of  lumber,  pig-iron, 
logs,  cotton-seed,  hides,  feathers  and  other  merchandise. 

The  honesty,  enterprise,  intelligence,  progressive  tendencies  and  uni- 
versal bonhomie  of  the  citizens  of  Columbia  and  Maury  County,  not  less 
than  its  commanding  geographical  position,  uniformity  of  climate,  charm- 
ing landscape,  varied  productions,  its  minerals,  its  railroad  facilities  and 
fertility,  makes  this  as  desirable  a  region  for  the  immigrant,  the  business 
man  and  the  lover  of  freedom,  health  and  rational  living,  as  can  be 
found  in  any  portion  of  the  Union. 


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